Rick Rizzs Talks About Taking Goldsmith Under His Wing

This week’s Seattle Weekly feature is an introduction of Aaron Goldsmith, the Mariners’ new broadcaster who will team with Rick Rizzs in the booth and verbally paint the M’s 2013 season via KIRO radio airwaves. If all goes as planned, it will be the first of many seasons behind the M’s mike for Goldsmith.

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A man who knows a little something about spending years behind the M’s mike is Rizzs, who this year enters his 28th year of service to the team.

While researching the Goldsmith feature, I spoke to Rizzs about his relationship with his new partner and how he’s been taking him under his wing. Although there wasn’t space to include it in the full feature, I didn’t want to waste this perspective from Rizzs, so I’m posting it here.

Much like Dave Niehaus did for him when he arrived in Seattle for the first time – also a fresh-faced 29-year-old staring his break into the Big Leagues square in the eye – Rick Rizzs has taken a hands-on approach helping Goldsmith get comfortable in his new role. Rizzs seems determined to spend the 2013 season showing Goldsmith the ropes – both big and small. The M’s broadcasting fixture says sometimes it’s the little pieces of advice that are most important – like how to get to the ballpark. And Rizzs says vicariously experiencing Goldsmith’s awe over aspects of the job that have become routine over his nearly three decades with the team – like the per diem meal money, for example – is part of the enjoyment.

“It’s a tremendous responsibility that I look forward to,” says Rizzs of taking Goldsmith under his wing. “Dave was a great mentor, a great teacher, a great broadcaster and a great friend. … I was fortunate to have one of the best broadcasters ever, in the history of baseball, show me how to do it. But we were friends first.

“The only thing [Aaron] has to do is be himself. The fans are going to get to know him over time. It’s a process. It’s not going to happen over one game, one month,” offers Rizzs.